Organic farming best for animal welfare says new report

The Soil Association has today published a report looking at the major animal welfare benefits provided by organic farms, and the opportunities to further improve welfare for organic farm animals.

The report, 'Batteries Not Included', concludes that "organic farming can deliver tremendous welfare benefits for farmed animals, and much more could be made of these benefits when promoting organic food to the general public".

Endorsing the report, Joyce D'Silva, Director of the Compassion in World Farming Trust said, "We always advise our supporters to buy organic or free-range meat and eggs. Such systems have the potential to deliver far higher standards of animal welfare. Well-run organic farms using more traditional or dual purpose animals are as close to the ideal as possible."

According to the Soil Association it is now accepted that, overall, organic standards deliver higher levels of animal welfare compared to non-organic systems. This was confirmed in an independent, peer-reviewed paper that compares organic and other farming systems.1

The Soil Association's new report looks at the poultry, pig, dairy, sheep and cattle sectors; it also provides an overview of organic and conventional animal welfare standards. Previously published material is used, as well as interviews with Soil Association producers involved in a range of enterprises.

Commenting on intensive farming methods the report highlights that:

· 100,000 birds die each day in UK broiler sheds as a result of heart failure, disease and afflictions caused by intensive methods of production. High-yielding strains of turkey now have such large breasts that they are incapable of sexual reproduction

· Between 70 to 75 per cent of the estimated 500,000 sows in the UK spend their entire life indoors. Many sows are confined in narrow crates when they farrow, and suffer from swollen joints and skin abrasions

· Most piglets have their teeth clipped and their tails docked - painful mutilations convenient for intensive production

· Dairy cows are bred to produce as much milk as possible. Because of infertility and disease, caused in part by metabolic stress, the majority of cows have to be killed by the age of five. By contrast organic dairy cattle usually live for eight to ten years.

Peter Melchett, the Soil Association's Policy Director said: "This report shows that animals on organic farms generally enjoy positive health and welfare, and that many organic farmers constantly strive to improve the welfare of their animals. But our standards are not perfect. We welcome the challenges identified in the report and will work over the next year to address the issues raised."

As a result of the report, the Soil Association has proposed the following actions:

· Vets should receive training to improve their understanding of organic livestock systems and vets should then always be involved when farms are first certified by the Soil Association

· Soil Association inspectors to undertake more qualitative animal welfare assessments

· On farms where animal welfare problems are identified, a veterinary visit or farmer training will be required

· The suitability of breeds for organic farming will be scrutinised with a view to restricting or prohibiting the use of some breeds developed for intensive systems

· The introduction of a consultative forum on poultry in 2004 to formulate changes in permitted flock sizes and other poultry welfare issues.

The report was researched and written by an independent writer, Charlie Pye-Smith. He has written over a dozen books including "Working the Land" with Richard North and "The Subsidy Scandal". He is a regular contributor to publications including the Daily Telegraph, the Financial Times, New Scientist, and broadcasts for the BBC World Service. Much of his work has been devoted to exploring environmental and farming matters in Europe and the developing world.